NDLEA Arrests Notorious Drug Kingpin After 13 Years in Hiding

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, following major drug seizures linked to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 over his involvement in a cocaine shipment into Nigeria and was arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court. However, after being granted bail, he absconded and remained in hiding for more than a decade.

According to a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Chidiebere had been on the run since jumping bail.

His name resurfaced in February 2024 when he was identified as a key figure in a 49.70-kilogram heroin shipment intercepted by NDLEA operatives. Subsequent operations at his hotel, Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest. Following the discovery, Chidiebere reportedly went into hiding again.

Babafemi disclosed that increasing pressure from law enforcement authorities eventually forced him to surrender on February 13, 2026.

Chidiebere is now in NDLEA custody and is facing both his previous charges and new allegations related to recent heroin consignments.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Imo State on February 25, 2026, recovering 18.4 kilograms of the drug along with production equipment.

The agency also arrested a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, at the Seme border on February 27 with 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage. Additionally, large quantities of skunk and 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup were seized in various states, including Kano and Katsina.

Reacting to the developments, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA commended the agency’s officers for their dedication and professionalism. He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.